Precious Child
by MetallicGirl
Summary: The CIA finally manages to capture Megatron and a six-month-along pregnant Starscream, taking their weapons and chaining them in a warehouse with no energon or communication equipment. So what are the two Decepticon prisoners supposed to do when the sparkling decides to come early? (Warning: mpreg.)
1. Rude Awakening

Megatron awoke to the dark.

As he slowly opened his eyes, he took inventory of his grim surroundings-it was a dark room, maybe a warehouse, smelling of mold and decay. Megatron attempted to sit up, but something yanked him back down.

There was a chain around his neck.

 _Where am I_? Megatron thought, pulling at the base of the chain. It didn't seem like very strong metal; maybe he could set himself free. But when he tried, he fell back onto the floor in exhaustion. Checking his internal energon supply, he realized that he hardly had enough to last for two days. What was going on?

The last thing he remembered, Megatron had been out in the forest with Starscream. They were spending some time together, getting away from all the noise, just the two of them. Starscream packed a picnic, and they made love under the stars.

Megatron looked around him. Where _was_ Starscream? Then he saw it. Starscream was passed out on the floor; he didn't have a chain around his neck, but his hands and feet were bound to the floor by iron clamps. They were close to each other so there was no room for him to stretch out. It was obvious that he wasn't dead, at least, because he was twisting and turning in his sleep like something was trying to squish or strangle him. Megatron considered waking Starscream up, but then decided against it. Starscream had better get his rest.

It was a good thing Starscream wasn't dead; that would mean the death of two Decepticons. Right now, Starscream was six months pregnant with a sparkling- _Megatron_ ' _s_ sparkling-and Megatron didn't want anything bad to happen to either of them. So he _had_ to get his mate and sparkling out of here. Megatron yanked at the bottom of his chain again, but he was still unable to do free himself; he just didn't have enough energy. Maybe he could blast it off? That was when he realized, to his horror, that he'd been disarmed. So had Starscream.

Megatron tried his next option—radio for help. (Maybe that should have been his first option.) But that didn't work either. When he went to call the other Decepticons, he saw that his com. link had been removed, as had his T-cog (not that he could have transformed anyway, even if he did have it).

They were helpless.

Who did this? Was it the Autobots? Yes, it probably was the Autobots. Whatever they had drugged Megatron with was making him sleepy, and next thing you know he was falling asleep again... 


	2. News Flash

"Flash! This program has been interrupted to bring you important news! Under cover and stealth of night, a currently unidentified party has managed to capture two Decepticons! Whereabouts of said Decepticons, as well as their captors, are currently unknown!"

"Sweet Primus!" Prowl cried, almost jumping out of his chair. All the Autobots started talking at once. Who was captured? Who captured them, and why? Worst of all, why had THEIR show been interrupted?

"Hey," said Sunstreaker, fiddling with the remote. "I was watching that."

"How did the humans manage to capture two Decepticons?" Optimus asked. "Who are they?"

"Maybe they'll say," said Prowl.

Everybody listened, but for now there were just a bunch of reporters milling around, talking frantically. Finally a female announcer with bottle-blonde hair (apparently styled with transmission fluid) and giant fake boobs came on-screen.

"This is Krystal Flemming, reporting live from Washington D.C.," she was saying. "Various news sources claim that Washington has captured two major-profile Decepticons, Starscream and Megatron. No one is sure what the U.S. Government plans to do-sell these robots to a foreign power, reverse-engineer them, or simply kill them immediately. The hostages pose no threat to us, seeing as they have been both disarmed and deprived of fuel."

"That's strange," Optimus commented. "Megatron told us Starscream was dead about six months ago when he stopped showing up to our battles. But from what this report says, Starscream was alive when he was captured."

"Maybe he tricked us," Prowl replied.

" _Where is Starscream_?" _Optimus asked_. " _Starscream is your second_ - _in_ - _command_. _Why is he no longer showing up to battle_?"

" _Starscream is dead_ ," _Megatron replied_ , _glaring at him_. " _I killed him_."

" _WHY did you kill him_?"

" _Because he betrayed me one too many times_."

So where WAS Starscream, then? What was Megatron trying to hide? Perhaps Starscream was just being tortured, like they had always suspected. Autobots are noble, but who cares what happens to Decepticons? The Autobots didn't always realize that there are certain things that can happen, bad things, that you don't wish even on your worst enemy.

"The good thing is," Optimus told Prowl, "is that the Decepticons are very largely nothing without Megatron and Starscream. Now might be a good time to attack."

"I don't know," said Perceptor, coming into the room. "I couldn't help but overhear, and I remember the reporter saying that the humans might reverse-engineer their hostages. If our genome fell into the wrong hands, disaster could occur. And even if it doesn't...who knows what they ARE going to do?"

"Let 'em do whatever they want, I say!" Ironhide walked in after Perceptor, sipping on a cube of energon. "That's just two less Decepticons to deal with."

"Besides, it would be Decepticon genome, not Autobot genome," Optimus reminded them.

"Even worse." Perceptor shook his head.

"Wait." Prowl sat up straighter. "Are you saying we should actually try to _rescue_ the Decepticons?"

"Not just yet," Optimus told him. "But we do have to do something. After all, what if they come for us next?"


	3. Starscream's Problem

This time, Megatron was awakened by someone screaming his name. For a minute he thought the whole captive-and-chained-by-the-neck thing was a dream, but when he woke up to it again...this time Starscream was crying out for him...

"What, Starscream?" said Megatron, bolting up but then feeling pain as he was yanked backwards. The chain wasn't long.

"Who did this to me?!" Starscream cried, obviously in a panic.

"The Autobots," Megatron replied. "Who else?"

"I can't move," Starscream whined.

"Listen, I have to get you out of here." Megatron managed to stretch his chain enough that he could crawl to Starscream, but couldn't reach him any further than his hips. "It's very dangerous."

"Yes," Starscream agreed, struggling to get free. "For the sparkling."

"How much energon do you have?"

"Not m-much..." Starscream gnashed his teeth together and closed his eyes. "I want to go home, Megatron."

"You will," Megatron told him. "The other Decepticons surely will realize we're missing. They'll come looking for us."

Unbeknownst to Megatron and Starscream, the other Decepticons weren't going to come looking. The two captives' energy signals had been overridden. When Soundwave scanned for their energy signals, he had gotten nothing. Everyone assumed they were dead. Their weapons were gone, so it wasn't an option to blast themselves out. They had no way of getting out of their prison, as far as Megatron could see, but he knew he had to keep Starscream calm.

"No they won't," said Starscream. "We're on our way to the crypt."

"Don't SAY that!" Megatron told him, banging his fist on one of the clamps holding Starscream's feet (seeing as he couldn't reach the ones binding his hands). "Maybe I can set these loose."

"Stop pulling on my feet!" Starscream yelled as Megatron tugged at the clamps.

"I-I can't get a good...grip on it..." Megatron grunted. "I will overturn the floor if that's what it takes to free us!"

"Megatron, _stop_ ," Starscream moaned.

"Is something wrong?" Megatron squinted and crawled up to Starscream again, putting his hands on the Seeker's knees.

"It's just that I..." Starscream screamed right then, startling Megatron, and then cried out, "Megatron, I think the sparkling's coming!"

"What?!" Megatron shouted in disbelief. "That's impossible! It's not supposed to come for another three months!"

"I'm aware of that," Starscream said weakly. "But whoever did this to us...whatever they did to us...who knows. If it was some kind of chemical or drug, it could easily have induced this. I majored in Chemistry _and_ Biology, remember? I think I would know."

"I never should have taken you so far from base when you were in this condition, Starscream," said Megatron. "And now look what's happened to us. I'm sorry."

"How could you have predicted thi...ahhhh!" Starscream reflexively tried to remove his hands but they were pinned down. Right now this contraction startled him more than pained him, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. And if he was as energy-deprived and panicky as he was right now, especially without a proper medic, his labor would be difficult.

Megatron tried to reach out for Starscream's hand but the chain stopped him; he yanked on it yet again, trying to pull it out of the ground or even pull part of the ground up. Normally he would've been able to do it. But, like Starscream, he was far too weak right now.

"Calm down," said Megatron. "Are you still feeling pain?"

"YES!" Starscream hollered. "And these bonds aren't helping!"

Megatron didn't know scrap about what he should do right now, or even if he _should_ do anything. Besides, did this mean the sparkling was going to come out RIGHT NOW? Megatron hoped not. It didn't seem right, exactly, for the sire to just lay there in the corner while the carrier struggled alone, but still...

"Don't worry about the bonds!" Megatron yelled. "We've got to figure out a way to escape. Hold the sparkling in if you have to!"

"Are you crazy?!" Starscream shrieked. "I can't hold it in!"

"I'm not crazy," said Megatron, "but you are if you think you can give birth now!"

Megatron wasn't too keen on this development. To be honest, he'd pictured Starscream in the med bay, having his sparkling in a proper environment. They had asked Soundwave to deliver the sparkling because of two reasons: one, because he was good with technology and sensitive procedures such as this one (after all, if he could fix and operate computers, rockets, and all those neat little gadgets, why couldn't he be the best candidate in helping with a delivery?) and two, because he had experience with all those cassettes. Soundwave would do anything Megatron asked, especially if it involved his sparkling.

And himself? Megatron thought he'd probably stand outside, or at least faraway from the action, because he didn't know anything about birth and until now he hadn't cared to. After all, he figured, he wasn't the one having the sparkling _or_ delivering it, so why couldn't he just wait through the gruesome part and hold the sparkling after it was born? It was his usual plan: assign the dirty work to Soundwave, assign the pain to Starscream, and reap the rewards for himself.

"Please, Megatron," Starscream told him desperately. "Don't leave me."

"I can't leave you, whether I want to or not!" Megatron looped his finger through his chain's collar and tugged slightly. "See?"

Megatron wondered if he _would_ have bolted, if he had the choice. If he'd been free, but Starscream was stuck here, would he really choose to stay with him? After all, Starscream was about to have the sparkling, and Megatron was no medic...

"It's getting WORSE..." Starscream mumbled, clenching his teeth and continuing to struggle to get free.

"Why are you trying to escape?" Megatron yelled at him. "I've already tried to free you. Those things are permanent."

"STOP YELLING AT ME!" Starscream screeched, obviously enduring more pains. "If-if I had known you'd abandon me at a time like this, I _never_ would have had a sparkling with you!"

"What do you want me to do?!" Megatron hollered back. " _Pull_ it out?!"

Starscream's eyes filled with tears then and he bit his lip. "No. I just want us to stick together."

Oh, how Megatron longed to wipe those tears from Starscream's eyes as they slid down the sides of his face and onto the floor. Right now, he knew Starscream needed him. But the last thing he wanted to do was actually extract a living being from inside of someone; he had heard about the birth process, and to him it sounded...well, gross.

"Don't do that," said Megatron, noticing that raw energon was leaking slightly out of the side of Starscream's mouth. Because the Seeker didn't have anything else to bite or chew or squeeze, he'd bitten his bottom lip to bleeding.

"It _hurts_ ," Starscream moaned, and bit down harder.

Megatron did wish he could reach out and hold Starscream's hand. But Starscream's hands were tied down, and Megatron's chain didn't reach that far.

"If only I had my radio, I could call for someone to help us," Megatron mumbled, more to himself than to Starscream.

"Well, you don't have your radio." Starscream took another exhale in and groaned. "You just have me, and your future daughter or son is waiting to meet you."

"You know what? Fine," Megatron snapped. "I'll do it. I'm gonna help you."

"Thank y-OH, SWEET PRIMUS!" Starscream really was struggling to get his wrists free now. But why?

"Starscream, you'd better stop that or you'll break your hands off," Megatron warned.

"My BODY is breaking APART!" Starscream screamed. "Make it stop!"

"I can't do that and you know it," said Megatron. "Now...just..."

Megatron had no idea what to do. 


	4. Optimus Prime's Decision

"Any more news about the captives?" Optimus asked, walking into the main monitor room with some cubes of energon. By now, most of the other Autobots were gathered by Teletraan-1, focused on the news. If Megatron and Starscream were deactivated, that would certainly lessen the threat of the Decepticons, but Perceptor was right. If the humans-especially the _wrong_ kind ofhumans-got their hands on Cybertronian engineering, the results could be catastrophic.

"Not much," Prowl replied, staring intently at the screen. "They're still trying to figure out who did it."

"What do you mean?" Optimus asked. "I thought it was the CIA."

"I don't know," said Prowl. "They suspect that Megatron and Starscream were captured without permission from the U.S. Government first."

"Slag if I know what goes on at that CIA place," said Ironhide.

"That doesn't sound good to me," Optimus told him. "If these humans did it without permission from their government, they might not have the other humans' best interests at spark. We might need to do an investigation."

"You _can_ ' _t_ be serious." Prowl leaned back into the couch.

"I ain't rescuin' any Decepticreeps," Ironhide added.

"We're not 'rescuing' any Decepticons," said Perceptor. "We're rescuing anyone who might be endangered by this new development, human _or_ Cybertronian. I agree with Optimus. We need to find Starscream and Megatron. If they're still alive, we should be able to pick up their energy signals with Teletraan-1 and locate where they are."

"So what are we going to do when we find them, then?" Prowl asked.

"We'll worry about that later," said Optimus. "First let's scan for their energy signals."

Everyone gathered by Teletraan-1 to scan for Decepticon energy signals, but they found nothing.

"I-I guess they're dead," said Bumblebee in shock. "Can you believe it? Megatron and Starscream are both dead!"

"Let's not have a party just yet," said Wheeljack, walking into the room. "First let's try out my newest little device."

"What is it?" Optimus asked.

"Well, I actually stole it from Soundwave, originally," Wheeljack explained. "It's a gadget that unscrambles masked Autobot energy signals. So I reverse-engineered it so that it unscrambles masked Decepticon energy signals instead."

"Good idea." Perceptor nodded. "Their captors may have scrambled their energy signals so as to make them untraceable."

Everyone held their breath as Wheeljack plugged his new invention into one of Teletraan-1's USB ports. Once it was in and the computer had recognized the invention, Perceptor searched again for Megatron and Starscream's energy signals.

"That's peculiar." Perceptor squinted at the blinking lights now visible on the screen.

"What?" Prowl asked. "Are you picking up two energy signals?"

"No," Perceptor whispered. "I'm picking up three."

"The news said nothing about a third captive," said Optimus. "That does it. We need to investigate. Perceptor…is the signal Autobot or Decepticon?"

"It's hard to tell," Perceptor replied. "It's…faint."

"Faint as in the captive will _die_?"

"Perhaps. But it's also entirely possible that the signal has been damaged."

"Perceptor, figure out where the signals are coming from," Optimus said quickly. "Prowl, you and I will head there immediately."

"Why me?" said Prowl.

"Aren't you our security officer?" Optimus reminded him.

"True." Prowl shrugged. "Okay. I'll go."

"I'll take you there," Skyfire offered, stepping forward. "Flying is faster than driving. Besides, Starscream is my old friend. I suppose it would be against my honor to _not_ help rescue him."


	5. Cry, Please

Megatron wished he had something that would make Starscream more comfortable—a pillow, a blanket, a cool cloth for his forehead, anything—but he couldn't even hold his mate's hand. By now his neck was aching from all the times he'd tried to stretch his chain. It was getting harder for him to hide his worry.

"Don't TOUCH me!" Starscream was screaming.

"Look, I'm trying my best!" Megatron hollered back. "I don't know any more about this than you do!"

"Oh my—oh my…" Starscream gasped, still trying to struggle free.

"Okay, just give me another push," said Megatron, trying to calm himself down for the sake of Starscream and the sparkling both.

Starscream did so, but he was exhausted. It didn't help that he was flat on his back, unable to move any of his body. Not to mention his breathing was fast and choppy, full of panic. Obviously, this was not the birthing experience he'd imagined.

"One more," said Megatron.

"Megatron, I-I can't push anymore," said Starscream breathlessly, eyes full of desperation.

"You have no choice!" Megatron told him. "Come on. It's probably a Seekerling, like you wanted. It can't ever fly unless you get it out."

Megatron placed both hands on Starscream's knees, holding his legs apart for him while he was visibly straining, taking several short, breathy gasps and then plunging himself with a loud grunt into another push. Megatron tried to ignore the ever-growing pool of purple liquid on the floor—raw energon, which Starscream was losing quickly, sapping him of his energy. Megatron prayed Starscream wouldn't bleed to death before this sparkling was born.

"Keep going," Megatron said. "C'mon, harder!"

"YOU push harder, you imbecile!" Starscream screeched.

Megatron sighed and shook his head, feeling tears burning his eyes. "Picture the sparkling, Starscream. See it in your head."

"All I can see is pain," Starscream moaned. "I'm gonna die."

"You are NOT going to die!" Megatron shouted. "You are going to push this sparkling out!"

Starscream forced himself into an obviously difficult push, letting out a scream that lasted for at least ten seconds straight, and then asked, "C-Can you see it?"

"No," Megatron told him. "Not yet."

Starscream moaned in disappointment. After a minute or two he went into another push, tears running down his face.

"That's right," said Megatron, rubbing Starscream's knee. " _Keep_ pushing…"

"I-I can't," Starscream gasped, hardly able to even speak anymore. "It—it hurts, Megatron. So bad."

"You can do it, Starscream," Megatron told him, his voice catching. "I promise. Be strong."

Starscream moaned again and pushed. Megatron rubbed his foot, biting his lip and trying to fight back tears of worry. Even more so when Starscream screamed at the top of his lungs, gasped for air, and screamed again.

"I-I can see it now, Starscream," Megatron whispered, feeling his tears spill out of his eyes and down his cheeks, and then louder: "Starscream. I see the sparkling."

"You do?" Starscream asked faintly, shakily lifting his head up to look at Megatron, but then letting it land onto the ground again—lifting his head up took too much energy.

"Yes," said Megatron nervously. "They're—they're supposed to be feet-first, right?"

"What?!" Starscream shrieked, bursting into tears. "No, they're not!"

"Calm down!" Megatron told him. "It doesn't matter. You can still get it out. Just push."

With the next push Megatron was able to grab the sparkling's lower body in his hands, trying to support it so it wouldn't land on the dirty floor. Something told him not to pull. Tears kept streaming down his face as he clenched his teeth tight and tried not to look away, feeling his spark-rate speed up when he realized his hands were covered in sticky purple raw energon. _I have NO idea what I_ ' _m doing_. _This is a disaster_.

"Keep pushing, Starscream," Megatron shouted over Starscream's loud wails of pain. Meanwhile he tried to distract himself by looking for the sparkling's gender. "C'mon, Starscream. We've got a little femme on the way. She's got wings too."

"Everything hurts," Starscream mumbled, but he kept pushing. Due to the sparkling being upside down they got to the head last. Megatron hoped she hadn't tried to take her first breath before this but he was afraid she had.

 _Please_. _PLEASE don_ ' _t let the head be stuck_. _I_ ' _ll never ask for anything again_ , _Primus_ … _just let the two of them be okay_.

"Push, Starscream, push!" Megatron kept repeating, feeling useless.

"Her head's too BIG for me!" Starscream was still scream-crying. "Just…just save the sparkling…"

"What—no!" Megatron shouted desperately. "Stay with me, Starscream!"

Megatron was still hoping his daughter hadn't tried to take her first breath yet. With a little more prodding, Starscream managed to get her head partway out, gasping for air in between. _How do medics DO this_? Megatron wondered. There was so much raw energon everywhere, including the sparkling's body, which was basically covered in muck.

"Come on, push…" Slaggit, they weren't even at her head's widest circumference yet.

Starscream felt like he was being literally torn in two. If it weren't for Megatron kneeling there, holding the sparkling, reminding him that it would be over soon, he just needed to push a little harder, he might not have gotten through this. Starscream continued to push, trying to think through the blinding pain, the feeling of being stretched beyond his limits.

"Good job, almost there," Megatron whispered. "Chin…nose…c'mon, maybe she'll be out in just one more big push."

Starscream's vocals sounded like nails on chalkboard, but Megatron wasn't listening as he lifted a tiny femme sparkling out and up into his arms. As soon as the sparkling was out, Starscream collapsed onto the floor.

Megatron held the sparkling in one arm and frantically rubbed Starscream's shin with his other hand. "Starscream, wake up!"

Starscream wouldn't wake up. Megatron spent a few more minutes trying to get him to respond, but then a little gasping sound brought attention to his new daughter. She was breathing faintly—not big breaths, just short little choppy ones that sounded more like she was choking on a wet gym sock. Shouldn't she be crying?

"My daughter?" Megatron said uncomfortably, not knowing how to address her. "Why are you so quiet?"

Megatron looked under her tiny cockpit to check for her spark-beat. It was there, but it was very faint, shorting in and out.

"Come on, honey," Megatron whispered to her, holding onto one of her tiny hands. They were black, just like his. "Cry. Please."

The new sire wasn't completely sure what to do, but he knew he needed to help her; he bounced her up and down a little, rubbed her back, lightly slapped her like they do in the movies—and finally, she choked up a huge amount of gunk, along with purple energon-blood, and let out a feeble little cry.

Holding the femme sparkling close to his helm and wiping tears of relief from his eyes, Megatron wondered how he would protect her. She desperately needed medical attention soon, not to mention nourishment—neither of which Megatron could provide. But he could at least keep her warm until he could get them out of there.

"Hold on, my daughter," Megatron told her gently, basking in the sounds of her wails.


	6. Rescue

"We're here," said Skyfire gravely, dismounting in front of an old warehouse. It was a good thing they had decided to fly, because it was surrounded by barbed wire and there were signs everywhere saying, "High Voltage: Keep Out."

The three Autobots crept towards the warehouse, fearful of what they might find. Optimus closed his eyes and shot his gun at the front of the warehouse, blasting through the door. When he stepped in, with Skyfire and Prowl following along behind him, none of them could believe what they saw.

"Starscream!" Skyfire cried, racing toward Starscream, passed out (or dead) and bleeding in the corner. Skyfire easily was able to free Starscream from his bonds and held his old friend in his arms, openly sobbing.

But Optimus and Prowl had noticed something else.

"Is that…is that a sparkling crying?" Prowl whispered in disbelief.

"Megatron…?" said Optimus, approaching him slowly.

"Prime!" Megatron turned around in shock. Optimus's eyes widened as he saw the streaks of tears on Megatron's cheeks. Hurriedly, the Autobot leader shot the base of Megatron's chain out of the ground, and Megatron immediately stood up, cradling the screaming sparkling tight.

"What's going on, Megatron?" Optimus asked.

"Just what I was about to ask you!" Megatron said back. "I demand an explanation for what you have done to us!"

"What are you _talking_ about?!" Prowl looked shocked. "We would never do this!"

"Oh, don't give me that scrap!" Megatron yelled. "I had to deliver my own daughter in this wretched place, and I have no idea if she's going to survive."

"Your…your what?" Optimus asked.

"My daughter," Megatron repeated, scowling. "The sparkling in my arms!"

Prowl was just staring, slack-jawed, but Optimus said, "Megatron, we didn't do this."

"Oh yeah? Then who did?"

"It's all over the news," Prowl told him finally, trying not to stare. "Apparently the humans did it. They don't know who yet, but maybe now that we've found your location we should be able to—"

"I don't want you to do anything!" Megatron hollered, smacking Prowl out of the way. "I want you to keep out of my life!"

"Megatron," said Optimus, putting his hand on Megatron's shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"At least I did what he wished," Megatron mumbled, rocking his daughter gently. "I saved the sparkling's life."

"Starscream died giving birth?" Prowl looked a little sad, even though he was an Autobot and Starscream was a Decepticon.

"No, guys, Starscream is alive," said Skyfire tearfully. "I mean, his energon levels are critical, but he's alive. Look, he's breathing."

"Let's get him back to the Ark," Optimus said quickly.

"I'll drive to the nearest police station and report this," Prowl offered.

"Very well," Optimus told him. "Everyone else, all aboard."

"Hurry," said Skyfire. "If we make it back soon enough, Ratchet might be able to save Starscream and the sparkling."


	7. Rosepetal

Megatron was sitting in front of Teletraan-1, watching the news, not talking to anyone. Krystal Flemming was standing in front of a camera yet again, live at the scene of the capture.

"The entire United States is shocked at this turn of events," she was saying. "The two Decepticons in question, Megatron and his second-in-command Starscream, were apparently captured by a group of CIA agents planning to deactivate them and sell them to a terrorist group known as 'Cemetery Wind' for an estimated one million dollars."

On the TV behind Krystal were four men, their heads turned towards the ground. Each one was handcuffed as they were led by stony-faced police officers to patrol cars with flashing red-and-blue lights.

"All four men have been sentenced to Death Row," Krystal finished solemnly. "This is a crime both against their country and against humanity."

Megatron couldn't watch anymore. The humans who did this to him were being punished—good, but that wasn't his main concern right now. As he got up and paced around the room, hands behind his back, he was wondering what exactly was going on in the Autobot repair bay right now.

Not long after, Ratchet stepped carefully into the main monitor room and approached the place where Megatron was seated.

"Megatron," Ratchet said shakily, his eyes filled with tears. "Megatron…"

"What?!" Megatron hollered. "Out with it, Autobot!"

"Well, let's just say that she's her daddy's daughter," Ratchet said, his tears now leaking out of his sky-blue eyes and streaming down his cheeks. "She's not going to give up that easily."

That was when the medic's voice broke; he was unable to continue. But he didn't need to.

"Oh, thank Primus," Megatron whispered, feeling tears in his eyes all over again. "But—wait a minute. What about Starscream? Is he okay?"

"I think your mate is going to be just fine," said Ratchet. "Starscream needed seven stitches down there, and was extremely low on energon, but he's on his way to recovery. Any chance your sparkling was breech?"

"It would be easier to answer if I knew what you meant by that," said Megatron.

"Did she come out upside-down?"

"Yes, feet-first," Megatron told him, then asked accusingly, "How did you know?"

"Sometimes when the body comes out first there isn't quite enough dilation by the time the head emerges." Ratchet shrugged. "It's very dangerous for both carrier and sparkling. If she had been born here, she would've been removed via surgery."

"Can I see Starscream?" Megatron asked him tentatively.

"I wouldn't," Ratchet replied. "Right now, he's in recharge, something of which he needs a lot. But you can meet your daughter, if you wish. I had to put her on spark-support, but—"

"Yes, please," said Megatron, and pulled Ratchet toward the med bay.

When they got inside, they were surprised to see Starscream awake. The Seeker was still lying down in bed, blinking confusedly but smiling slightly, feeling the warmth in his spark that came immediately after a successful (albeit rough) delivery. There was a feeding tube in his arm, compensating for the energon he lost during childbirth and because of the tearing. Starscream was panting in exhaustion, his cheeks flushed, but his eyes widened when he saw Ratchet and Megatron enter the room.

"Megatron?" Starscream asked faintly.

"Oh, Starscream," Megatron whispered, running to his side and hugging him tight. "I was so worried we'd lost you. The sparkling too."

"You mean…she's alive?" Starscream asked hopefully, blinking back tears. "My baby is alive?"

"Yes, but you couldn't possibly come see her right now, I'm afraid," said Ratchet. "She is on round-the-clock spark-support right now, and thus cannot be moved from her current location, and if _you_ try to move, you'll tear your stitches out, not to mention we can't disconnect the IV."

"I can't leave the bed for just a little?" Starscream begged. "Come on. I haven't even _seen_ my daughter yet."

"Starscream is right, Ratchet," said Megatron. "Can't he at least meet her?"

Ratchet pursed his lips and sighed, but then looked towards Starscream. "Fine. I will temporarily disconnect the tube; it looks like you have enough energon to go on for about a few hours now. But be very, very careful when you walk."

Megatron helped Starscream out of the bed, and Ratchet disconnected the feeding tube. As soon as Starscream moved his legs he winced in pain.

"Come on," said Megatron, lifting Starscream up. "I'll carry you there."

The three of them soon reached the next room, where the sparkling was sleeping in a small nest of pillows and blankets. On her head was a little pink hat. It was a little disturbing to see that her tiny body had to be hooked up to so much equipment, but Ratchet assured them that this was only temporary.

"Oh, Primus," said Starscream softly, and Megatron let him down. "She's so beautiful."

The sparkling was a Seekerling. She was mostly a bubblegum-pink color, with bits of white. Her wings were white with one pink stripe each; her hands were black, like Megatron's, and her feet were blue, like Starscream's. She was smiling peacefully, her hands clenched into tiny fists.

"My wonderful daughter," Megatron added, reaching one hand down to stroke the pink hat.

"It's to keep her from losing heat from her head," Ratchet explained. "We thought she might like something that matched her color scheme."

"Pink, huh?" Starscream smiled weakly and reached down to touch the sparkling too. "How about we name her…Rosepetal?"

"I think that's perfect, Starscream," said Megatron, giving Starscream a gentle kiss and hug.

"Just like she is," Ratchet added with a smile. "But I have just one question—why did you tell us that Starscream was dead?"

"Well, to be honest…" Megatron sighed. "I thought you'd try to take her."

"Are you serious?" said Ratchet. "We would never take your sparkling from you. She's yours to keep…although I wouldn't mind getting visiting rights."


	8. Special Day

**ONE YEAR LATER…**

The Decepticons in the main monitor room were startled by the sound of their buzzer—and even more surprised by who was coming to visit them on this special day.

"Ratchet," said Megatron, opening the door. "What brings you here?"

"Well, since Rosepetal is turning one year old today, I thought her godfather might stop by and give her a little present." Ratchet smiled and set a little gift box down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch next to Starscream, who was holding Rosepetal in his lap, helping her have lunch. She was trying to balance a cube of low-grade in her hands, but when she tried to pick it up, it spilled all over Starscream's lap. Rosepetal giggled and licked the bright pink liquid off of her fingers.

"No licking your fingers," Starscream said jokingly, gently tickling her in the side as she screeched with laughter. "That's rude."

"What an adorable child," said Ratchet. "It warms my spark to see her so healthy and strong now."

Rosepetal, after her birth, had remained on spark-support for the next six weeks of her life, and was moved to intensive care shortly after. As she neared the three-month-old mark, she was finally given clearance by Ratchet to come home—where she soon became the happy, thriving giggly sparkling she was meant to be.

"Tell me about it," said Starscream, lifting Rosepetal up in the air and smiling at her; she smiled back and squealed with joy. "She's the happiest sparkling in the world."

"Starscream is the happiest mommy in the world," Megatron added. "We were so close to losing Rosepetal, but here she is, with us today."

"That's why we made you her godfather," Starscream explained. "You saved her life, and probably mine too."

"Well, y'know, just doing my job," Ratchet told him. "Not to mention they caught Cemetery Wind—that is, when they found the men who caught you and put you in the warehouse, they also managed to find the whereabouts of Cemetery Wind, I think through interrogation."

"That's good news," said Megatron. "I hear they're an awful terrorist group—and the ones who caught us got in trouble because apparently whatever Cemetery Wind was going to use us for would endanger the humans."

"May I ask what you brought Rosepetal for her birthday?" Starscream asked.

Ratchet smiled and opened the box. Inside was a little box with a picture of a flower on it.

"Plant your own baby roses," said Ratchet. "I brought her some fresh topsoil, plus some seeds for roses and other flowers, so she can someday grow her own little flower garden."

Rosepetal twitched her bubblegum-pink and white wings and Starscream let go; she floated up into the air and landed on the coffee table to look at her gift, then resumed hovering in the air, stopping every so often to land on somebody's lap and visit.

"Do you like your gift, Rosepetal?" Starscream asked, holding out his arms, and Rosepetal descended right into his lap, where he opened up a fresh energon cube for her.

"I think she does," said Megatron.

"You're right, Starscream." Ratchet smiled as Rosepetal giggled and snuggled into Starscream's cockpit as he wrapped his arms around her lovingly. "I've never seen a happier sparkling."

"And she makes us happy too," Starscream replied. "I can't wipe the smile off my face."

-the end-


End file.
